The invention relates generally to spray devices for containers, and more particularly to structures combined with spray devices that render the spray devices safer by restricting use of the spray devices to those who are responsible to handle the contents of the containers.
Most conventional spray devices for household cleaning and other fluids include pumps that are manually actuated by triggers to draw fluid from a container and dispense the fluid out of a nozzle. The pump mechanism is typically covered by a stationary shroud. A “spray bottle” combines a spray device with a typically small plastic container of liquid to permit a user to spray the liquid for various purposes. The research of some of the applicants has shown that over 267,000 children aged five years or younger were treated in U.S. emergency departments for injuries related to household cleaning products between 1990 and 2006. Spray bottles were the most common source of exposure, accounting for about 40 percent of all injuries related to household cleaning products.
Many spray devices include a nozzle that controls the stream configuration and/or prevents spraying of the contents of the container by rotation of the nozzle cap relative to the rest of the spray device. However, such conventional nozzles are not effective if the user does not turn the nozzle back to the “closed” or “off” position after each use. Furthermore, these nozzles are relatively easy for young children to manipulate to the “open” position. Therefore, such conventional spray bottles for household cleaning products cannot be designated as truly “child-resistant”. Indeed, in a recent pilot study in which some of the Applicants conducted home observations with 25 families with young children, a total of 36 percent of all cleaning product containers in the homes were identified as spray bottles (238 spray bottles in 25 homes). Of those spray bottles, a total of 75 percent had nozzles which were found to pose a potential hazard to young children in the household because they were not stored in the “closed” or “off” position.
Trigger systems, including spray devices, are the largest dispensing system type by volume in North America, and are commonly used for window cleaning, household cleaning, lawn and garden products (including insecticides and herbicides), air fresheners and automotive cleaning products. The household and industrial chemical dispensing system market includes two billion trigger system units sold each year. Many conventional spray devices incorporate safety features. For example, ContinentalAFA Dispensing Company, Guala Dispensing S.p.A. and Saint Gobain Calmar manufacture safety features on spray devices. However, no spray devices currently on the market are sufficiently child-resistant, because most or all of them require the user to return them to the “safe” condition after use. Because of the tendency to forget to do so, many “safety” spray devices become insufficiently safe.
In recent years, consumers have become more health conscious and manufacturers have attempted to be perceived by consumers as safe and responsible with green-friendly packaging, biodegradable products, and products that are better for the environment and the consumer's family. In addition, federal regulations are making child-resistant closures mandatory for certain pharmaceutical and household cleaning packaging. However, no spray device has achieved child-resistance beyond the type that must be returned deliberately to a “safe” condition by the user.
The need exists, therefore, for a spray device that restricts spraying of the contents of the container to those who are capable of determining whether the contents should be dispensed.